Outside door handle assembly



Dec. 1, 1964 B. sANDoR OUTSIDE DooR HANDLE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 29, 1962 INVENTOR. ez 3am/0f* ATTORNEY United States Patent j j 3,159,415 VOUTSIDE DOGR HANDLE ASSEMBLY j Bela Sandor, Detroit, Mich., assignor Vto General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation' of Delaware Filed Get. 29, 1962, Ser. No.. 233,764 V3 Claims. (Cl. 292-3363) This invention relates to latch actuating means, and more particularly to a latch actuating handle assembly.

VStyling changes in vehicle bodies often require changes' in the location of many of the body components, particularly the door latch. Since most known latch actuating handle assemblies must be located on the body in a substantially fixed relationship with respect to the location of the door latch, changes in the location of the door latch necessarily Yrequire accompanying changes in the location of the handle assemblies.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide an outside latch actuating handle assembly which will accommodate changes in the location of a door latch without requiring accompanying changes in the location of the handle assembly.l

One feature of this invention is that is provides an improved latch actuating handle assembly. Another feature of this invention is that it provides an improved vehicle body -latch actuating handle assembly including an elongated handle member mounted on the body for movement between inoperative and latch actuating positions, and an elongated lever member pivotally mounted on the body and having one end thereof coupled to the handle member and the other end lying adjacent the handle member in the inoperative position thereof with movement of the-handle member to the latch actuating position thereof causing the levermember to pivot and move the other `end thereof away from the handle member to actuate Aa Ydoor latch. A further feature ofV y this invention is that it provides a vehicle body latch actuating handle assembly including a generally U-shaped handle member having one leg thereof mounted on the body for swinging movement of the handle member between inoperative and latch actuating positions, an elon gated lever member pivotally mounted on the body for movement between inoperative and latch actuating positions and having one end thereof pivotally connected to the other leg of the handle member and the other end thereof located adjacent the one leg of the handle member and in juxtaposed relationship to a door latch in the inoperative positions of the members, with movement of the handle member to the latch actuating position thereof causing the other end of the lever member to move away from the one leg of the handle member and actuate the door latch, and means locating the members in the inoperative positions thereof.

These and other features of the invention willk b readily apparent from the following specifications and drawings wherein:

JCC

erally along the plane indicated by line 6-6 of FIGURE 2 Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body designated generally as 10 includes a door 12 mounted on the Vbody Ain conventional manner by suitable hinge means, not sho'wn, adjacent its forward edge 14 for movement between a closed position as shown in FIGURE l and 'an open position, not shown. Door 12 is held in closed position by suitable latch means, not shown, mounted 4on the door adjacent the rearward edge thereof and -including'an outside operating member 16, FIGURES 2 and 4, Ito release the latch. Member 16 is operated by an outside latch actuating handle assembly 1S accordingly to this invention.

As shown best in FIGURES 2 and 4, a flanged handle escutcheon 20 extends through openings'in the door outer panel 22 and reinforcing panel 24 and is bolted at 26 to panel 24. 'Escutcheon 20 is provided with a pair of openings 28 and 30 which partially receive the legs 34 and 36 of a generally U-shaped handle member 32, with leg 34 being pivotally secured to the escutcheon by a pin 38 extending between the upper and lower walls of opening 28. A generally channel shaped elongated lever member 40 is pivotally mounted on escutcheon 29 by a pin 42 extending between upper and lower mouting actuating abutment 49. A coil torsion spring 50 on pin 42 is interposed between the upper and lower walls of lever 40 and has one end S2 thereof bearing against the -side wall of the lever and the other end 54 thereof bearing against escutcheon 20 -so as to bias lever 40 and handle 32 clockwise about the respective pivots 42 and 38 thereof until a stop flange 56 on leg 36 engages a recess in escutcheon 20 to locate the lever and handle in inoperative position as shown in FIGURE 2. In tbisposition, the abutment 49 of lever 40 is located adjacent leg 34 and is juxtaposed to the member 16 as shown in FIGURE 6.

In order to release the latch, handle 32 is manually grasped and pulled outwardly about pin 38 to simultaneously swing lever 40 about pin 42 and move the handle and lever from their inoperative positions as .shown in FIGURE 2 to their latch actuating positions as shown in FIGURE 4 wherein abutment 49 has moved member 16 inwardly of door 12 to release the latch.

" When the handle is 'released the spring 50 returns the FIGURE 1 is -a fragmentary side elevational View of a vehicle body having an outside latch actuating handle assembly according to this invention mounted on the front door thereof;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken generally along the plane indicated by line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, showing the assembly in inoperative position;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3--3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to FIGURE 2 showing the assembly in latch actuating position;

FIGURE 5 is an enlargedv sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 5-5 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken genhandle and lever to the inoperative position of FIG- URE 2. j Y

rIt is readily apparent that any vertical relocation of the release member 16 from the position of FIGURE 6, whether it be upward or downward, is easily accommodated by appropriately enlarging or extending the abutment 49 of the lever 40. It is also. apparent that horizontal relocation of the member 16 is easily accommodated by appropriately lengthening or shortening the end 48 of lever 40, and possibly relocating pin 42 if it is desired that the original mechanical advantage be maintained.

Thus a new and improved latch actuating handle assembly is provided.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a latch and a movableV latch operating member, a latch actuating handle assembly comprising, an elongated handle member mounted on said body for movement between inoperative and latch actuating positions, an elongated lever member,

pivot means located intermediate the ends and spaced from said handle member for pivotally mounting said lever member on said body for movement between inoperative and latch actuating positions, means coupling said lever member adjacent oneV end thereof to said handle member for movement of said members in unison between said positions thereof, actuating means on the other end of said lever member adapted to operate said latch operating member, said actuating means being located adjacent said handle member in the inoperative position of said members and being located remote from said handle member in the latch actuating position of said members, movement of said handle member in a direction from said inoperative position to said latch actuating position swinging said lever member about said pivot means to move said actuating means from said adjacent to said remote location thereof to move said latch operating member away from said handle member.

2. In a vehicle body having a latch and a movable latch operating member, a latch actuating handle assembly comprising, a generally U-shaped handle member, means pivotally interconnecting one leg of said handle member and said body to mount said handle member on said body adjacent said latch operating member for movement between inoperative and latch actuating positions, an elongated lever member pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said body for movement between inoperative and latch actuating positions, said lever member being located across the bight of said handle member and having one endl thereof pivotally connected to the other leg of said handle member for movement of said members in unison between said positions thereof, actuating means on the other end of said lever member adapted to operate said latch operating member, said actuating means being located adjacent said handle member in the inoperative position of said members and being located remote from said handle member in the latch actuating position of said members, movement of said handle member in a direction from said inoperative position to said latch actuating position swinging said lever member about said pivot means to move said actuating means from said adjacent to said remote location thereof to move said latch operating member away from said handle member.

3. In a vehicle body having a latch and a movable latch operating member, a latch actuating handle assembly comprising, a generally U-shaped handle member, means pivotally interconnecting one leg of said member and said body for mounting said handle member on said body adjacent said latch operating member for swinging movement between inoperative and latch actuating inoperative position, an elongated lever member, pivot means located within the bight of said handle member for pivotally mounting said lever member on said body for movement between inoperative and latch actuating positions, one end of said lever member being pivotally connected to the other leg of said handle member for movement of said handle members between said positions thereof, the span between said pivotal interconnecting means and the connection between said one end and said other leg being greater than the span between said connection and said pivot means, actuating means on the other end of said lever member adapted to operate said,y latch operating member, said actuating means being located adjacent said handle member in the inoperative position of said members and being located remote from said handle member in the latch actuating position of said members, movement of said handle member in a direction from said inoperative position to said latch actuating position thereof swinging said lever member to a multiplied degree about said pivot means to move said actuating means from said adjacent to said remote location thereof to move said latch operating member away from said handle member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY HAVING A LATCH AND A MOVABLE LATCH OPERATING MEMBER, A LATCH ACTUATING HANDLE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, AN ELONGATED HANDLE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID BODY FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN INOPERATIVE AND LATCH ACTUATING POSITIONS, AN ELONGATED LEVER MEMBER, PIVOT MEANS LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS AND SPACED FROM SAID HANDLE MEMBER FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID LEVER MEMBER ON SAID BODY FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN INOPERATIVE AND LATCH ACTUATING POSITIONS, MEANS COUPLING SAID LEVER MEMBER ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID HANDLE MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS IN UNISON BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS THEREOF, ACTUATING MEANS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID LEVER MEMBER ADAPTED TO OPERATE SAID LATCH OPERATING MEMBER, SAID ACTUATING MEANS BEING LOCATED ADJACENT SAID HANDLE MEMBER IN THE INOPERATIVE POSITION OF SAID MEMBERS AND BEING LOCATED REMOTE FROM SAID HANDLE MEMBER IN THE LATCH ACTUATING POSITION OF SAID MEMBERS, MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE MEMBER IN A DIRECTION FROM SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION TO SAID LATCH ACTUATING POSITION SWINGING SAID LEVER MEMBER ABOUT SAID PIVOT MEANS TO MOVE SAID ACTUATING MEANS FROM SAID ADJACENT TO SAID REMOTE LOCATION THEREOF TO MOVE SAID LATCH OPERATING MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID HANDLE MEMBER. 